Marineford – Fleet Admiral's Office.
"…And after that, I lost consciousness. When I woke up, my power… was gone," Aokiji said in a low, serious voice. His gaze remained fixed, showing no trace of emotion, but the atmosphere was heavy with tension.
Sengoku studied him carefully.
"Are you sure he extracted the Fruit… without killing you?"
Aokiji nodded.
"Yes. I have no idea how he did it. It was like the Fruit was forcibly ripped from my body. He used some kind of giant, skeletal, translucent hand that emerged from thin air. That thing grabbed me and… tore something from inside me. It was like my soul separated for a moment."
Garp growled.
"And you're saying that bastard now has the power of the Hie Hie no Mi?"
"I don't know for sure. But after taking it, he had a normal Fruit in his hand. And what he took from me… that freezing energy… was absorbed by the fruit. I saw with my own eyes how it transformed."
Sengoku clenched his fists.
"That shouldn't be possible. Devil Fruits don't work like that. If someone dies, the power reincarnates in another nearby fruit. But extracting it from a living person…!"
Garp interrupted in a dry tone.
"Maybe it's a Devil Fruit rarer than any other. One that allows stealing or transferring abilities. Haven't we seen stranger things in this damn world?"
Sengoku didn't respond immediately. He took a few steps toward the window, looking down at the Marine base below.
Garp leaned back in his chair, letting out a heavy sigh.
"This guy… Noah… has access to a power that could change the balance of the world. If he can steal Devil Fruits and transfer them at will… we're in trouble."
Sengoku muttered, more to himself than to the others:
"What if he's creating an army?"
Silence fell over the room again.
Aokiji broke it after a few seconds.
"I don't think he's interested in war… yet. But if he is… nothing will stop him."
Garp stood up, leaving a half-eaten doughnut on the table.
"So we're no longer hunting pirates… we're hunting someone who plays with the very rules of the world."
Sengoku nodded grimly.
"Find him. Wherever he is. Before he does something we don't understand… and can't stop."
The man they were discussing had just stopped on one of the countless islands he had come across on his journey.
The place was bustling with activity, ships anchored along the coast, and all kinds of people walking its streets.
They went ashore and headed straight to the commercial district, where shops sold everything from weapons to slaves. Noah had stopped at this island to attend an auction, so after exploring a bit, the group made their way to the imposing building where the bids were taking place.
Once inside, Noah settled into one of the middle rows. He watched the auction with moderate interest, letting other buyers engage in the more aggressive bidding.
He acquired without much difficulty a Zoan-type Devil Fruit, a tiger model, which seemed useful for his studies.
However, what really caught his attention were two of the last lots: a young mermaid and a man from the three-eyed tribe.
Noah made no offer for them. Instead, he waited for the auction to conclude and for the buyers to collect their new acquisitions. Then, he approached them with his usual calm demeanor.
"I'll make you an offer," he said bluntly. "I'll pay you a third of what you spent on each in exchange for a sample of their blood."
The buyers looked at him skeptically. Noah pulled out a bag of money and dropped it into one of their hands, letting the sound of the coins speak for itself.
"Nothing unusual," he added. "Just a little blood for my studies."
One of the buyers, a plump merchant, considered the offer while the other, a man with scars on his arms, looked at the bag with interest.
Finally, they accepted the deal, and Noah drew blood samples from the two slaves.
With the vials carefully stored, he left the place.
Once alone in his room, Noah took out his time machine and traveled five years into the future, right at the start of the Egghead arc events.
There, he flew across to the New World and dedicated himself to gathering information about the changes that had occurred during this period. Despite all his interventions in the past, he discovered that history had followed a surprisingly similar course to the original.
Although some of the original Mugiwaras members were no longer around, Luffy managed to recruit talented people to fill those gaps.
Noah also confirmed that, despite his constant interference in the plot, the Marineford war had still happened, and Ace, despite not possessing the Mera Mera no Mi, joined Whitebeard's pirates and died nonetheless.
Another important event was Aokiji's betrayal of the Navy, who, just like in the original story, had left his admiral post to join Blackbeard's pirates. He even obtained a new Logia-type Devil Fruit whose attribute was a kind of black water.
This series of events led Noah to a deep reflection. While his actions had caused superficial changes, the key events seemed inevitably headed toward their original outcome.
This led him to consider the existence of a corrective force of fate, a sort of invisible mechanism that ensured history followed its predetermined course no matter how many times he tried to alter it.
It was as if the world itself was designed to always return to a state of balance, neutralizing any significant external interference.
After this reflection, Noah set off toward a certain island...
---
The tide roared fiercely around Winner Island as the imposing silhouette of Blackbeard's pirate ship emerged on the horizon. Mounted on Doc Q's Pegasus, Teach smiled with his characteristic mockery as his subordinates prepared for battle. At the other end, Trafalgar Law stood firm on his ship's deck, his gaze sharp as a dagger.
With a swing of his sword Kikoku, Law activated his Room in a wide radius around the battlefield. Wasting no time, he launched his first attack.
"Amputate!"
The ground beneath Blackbeard's feet split in a giant section, rising into the air at impressive speed. Chunks of rock and wood flew in all directions as the fragmentation generated a dust cloud. Law's intention was to separate Teach from his subordinates, isolating him to prevent using his numbers as an advantage.
However, the Yonko reacted quickly, gripping Stronger, Doc Q's Pegasus, with powerful gravitational suction. The dark energy of the Yami Yami no Mi enveloped his body and dispelled the effects of the Room, nullifying Law's technique with a mocking laugh.
"Zehehehe! That won't be enough, brat!"
Taking advantage of the brief opening, Law executed his next move.
"Shock Wille!"
Kikoku's blade gleamed with a bluish glow before Law plunged it into the air, channeling his power.
A massive energy discharge exploded inside Teach's torso, sending an internal shockwave that shook his organs. Electricity coursed through his body, causing him to writhe in pain as a guttural roar escaped his throat. His flesh trembled, and for a moment, his knees seemed to buckle.
However, his superhuman endurance allowed him to stay standing.
With a dark laugh, he extended his hand, and the darkness of the Yami Yami no Mi began to spread.
"Black Vortex!"
Law's Room was absorbed by the darkness, twisting as if swallowed by a bottomless pit. The dark gravity began pulling it inexorably toward the Yonko. Despite Law's struggle to resist, the power of the Yami Yami no Mi nullified any attempt at escape.
When within reach, Teach unleashed his second Devil Fruit.
"Gura Gura no Mi: Seismic Punch!"
Blackbeard's fist was wrapped in seismic energy, and with devastating force, it struck Law's torso head-on. A blast of shockwaves was released with the blow, tearing the air around and creating a seismic tremor that shattered the earth.
Law was launched like a projectile, crashing violently against the rocks of a nearby island. The stone splintered and sank with the impact, leaving a smoking crater where his body had landed.
Law emerged from the crater gritting his teeth, his body covered in Armament Haki. The pain was intense, but his will kept him standing. He knew he could not give up a single step.
The battle intensified as the subordinates of both captains entered the fray. Van Augur used his Warp-Warp Fruit to teleport Jesus Burgess into the heart of the battle. With a deafening roar, Burgess lifted a giant rock with one hand and threw it with colossal force at Law's crew. The stone projectile smashed through the ship's deck, shredding it in an explosion of splinters and metal.
Doc Q, from his position, scattered bombs infected with an unknown disease. The vials exploded in the air, releasing a thick purple fog that descended over Law's crew. However, Bepo reacted quickly, dodging the lethal vapors and using his strength to push his comrades away from the affected zone.
Stronger charged at Law, his trot intensifying as the Pegasus charged with blinding fury. However, Law, with surgical precision, spun on his axis and drew Kikoku with a clean, precise cut. The blade pierced Stronger's side, causing the animal to neigh in pain and stagger backward.
With the battle at its peak, Law summoned his ultimate technique.
"Puncture Wille!"
With a quick, sure movement, Law stabbed his sword into the ground. Energy concentrated at Kikoku's tip, and in an instant, a piercing wave expanded in a straight line toward Blackbeard. The attack cut through the terrain, generating a massive crack that advanced like a whirlwind of destruction.
Teach reacted with the Gura Gura no Mi, crossing his fists and generating a brutal shockwave that collided with Law's energy. The resulting impact created a devastating explosion that shook the entire area, raising a column of debris and dust that obscured the combatants' vision.
When the smoke cleared, Law was gasping, his body covered in bleeding wounds. Blackbeard, though also injured, still smiled confidently. The endurance gap began to tilt the balance in favor of the Yonko.
Law, gravely wounded, barely managed to stay standing. His crew also fought desperately, outnumbered and outpowered. Victory seemed to slip from their hands.
Then Bepo, with fierce determination in his eyes, ingested a special drug and unleashed his Sulong form.
His fur turned a glowing white, his muscles expanded, and his speed multiplied. With a deafening roar, he leapt toward Law and charged with him in a desperate escape. His increased speed allowed him to dodge attacks from Blackbeard's subordinates while opening a path through enemy lines.
The Blackbeard Pirates tried to stop them, but Bepo, with monstrous strength, shoved them aside with brutal blows. With one last push, he leapt into the ocean.
Just when he thought he would escape, Bepo's body froze in midair before distorting and being swallowed by a spatial whirlpool along with his captain.